FREEDOM FIGHTER
“In a world where abuse hides in the shadows arose one woman ... her mission ... to help the helpless, to emancipate the enslaved, to speak for the mute.” This could be Stephanie Lorenzo’s biopic trailer, but the inspiring leader humbly insists she’s just an average Aussie girl who enjoys snowboarding, travelling and autobiographies.
Lorenzo’s whole world changed when at 21 she read the real-life account of a child sold into prostitution. Though many are outraged by human trafficking, what made this young woman different was her decision and determination to do something about it. She couldn’t carry on with her privileged life and ignore the atrocities.
Today, at 31, the Sydneysider has achieved what few would dream of doing in a lifetime. Since she founded the notfor- profit organisation Project Futures in 2009, it has raised over AU$4.5 million, attracted more than 8000 supporters and helped hundreds escape the trafficking trap. She’s also been named among The Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 Women of Influence and been nominated as Australian of the Year.
It’s a tall feat from this five-foot-one Macquarie University International Communications graduate. Lorenzo shares how she was propelled from complacency to positive action.
ON YOUR BIKE
Born in the Philippines to Chinese parents and raised in Australia, Lorenzo was instilled with philanthropic values from an early age. “My parents sparked
